Changeable exhibitor



Jan. 19, 1954 E. E. REYNOLDS CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1948 FIG./

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Jan. 19, 1954 YN 2,666,911

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CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed Jan. 12. 1948 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 27: F16. Ila? If 244 294 @442 E F16. //8 HFYGJ/C Patented Jan. 19, 1954 CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Eugene Es Reynolds, Richmond, Calif.,. assignor to- Marchant- Calculators, Inc., acorporation of California Application January 12, 1948-, Serial No. 1,769

11 Claims. (Cl. 340*318) This: invention relates to changeable exhibitors, and more particularly to" changeable exhibitors utilizing a stroboscopic effect to visually arrest data, carried by a rotatable member in response to a data-selecting means, such as akeyboard.

The use of an intermittently flashing light to cause a revolving 0r reciprocating object to ap pear to stand still or move slowly is well known, and has been applied to several different uses, as, for example, for visually determining the correct pitch of a given sound; to produce visual patterns of a kaleidoscopic nature; and to ascertain the speed of rotating shafts. So far as I am aware, however; noprevious attempt has been made in the art to cause a light to flash when a drum or disc reaches a selected one of a plurality of positions, nor has there been an attempt to relate a series of mechanical or electrical representations topre-selecte-d positions of the drum so that a light selectively controlled by any one of the mechanical or electrical repre-- senta'tions will give a visual translation,v or the correct meaning, of said representation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a changeable exhibitor embodying a rotatabl'e drumbearing a series of data, and means associated therewith, including a stroboscopic light, adapted to select a portion or said data and to visually arrest the movement of the same through the periodic flashing of said light.

Another object of the invention is to provide a changeable exhibitor comprising a rotatable drum carrying a series" of data and means for selecting a portion of said data and operable to cause a periodic flashing of a strobosciopic light in timed relation to the position of said selected portion of data to render the latter viewable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a changeable exhibitor compri'sing 'a rotatable drumhaving a seriesof data, a seriesofrnechanical or electrical representations associated with the drum, each representation corresponding to one of the series of data, and means to select one of the representations to cause a strobescopic light controlled thereby to provide a visual translation in the form oiv one of the series of data of the selected mechanical or electrical representations.

, Broadly, the embodiments of the invention. of which there are two fully shown and described, comprise a rotatable drum, a keyboard and a light source. The drum is provided with an indicating portion having. a. series; of data in spaced relation on the periphery, thereof, and. a

sensing portion having a pattern or electrical contacts associated with contact fingers which are in turn connected by leads to the keyboard. The depressing of an appropriate combination of keys of the keyboard denoting a particular series of data on the drum causes a bridging of selected contacts to energize the light source to illuminate said particular series of data each time this data is in registry with a viewing aperture of the exhibitor; The flashing of the light source each time the desired data coincides with the viewing aperture serves to visually arrest this data, and this condition obtains until another combination of keys is depressed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of onev embodiment of the changeable exhibitor of the invention, said view being taken with the end of the casing removed;

Figure 2 is a view of. the device taken along the longitudinal section plane 212 of Figure 1, indicating by lines l -|v the reference plane along which the view of Figure l was taken;

Figure 3' is a. view of the exhibitor of Figures 1 and 2,, taken alongv lines 3-3 of Figure 1.;

Figure. 4 is a detail view taken alonglines 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a planar development. of the sensing pattern carried by the sensing portion or the drum;

.Figvure dis a schematic diagram showing the circuit arrangement interconnecting the keyboard, thecsensing portion or the drum, and the strobotron;

Figure l is a plan view of a modification of. the changeable exhibitor oi the invention with the casing thereof partly broken away; Figure 8 is-an enlarged view in section: of the exhibitor taken along lines 8-8 o Figure 7;.

- Figure 9 is a view taken along lines- 9-9 of Figure 8;. v

Figure 10 is an enlarged partial view taken along lines. lll l 0 of Figure '1; I

Figure 11 is an exploded View inv section of: the structural elements or the sensing. drum, showmg the cooperative relationship thereof;

' Figures 11A, 11B and 110 are plan views of. the sensing drum elements Figure 11 therebeneath; v

Figures MD and, 11E are views. inside elevation of. two of the sensing drum elements of Figure Figure; 1 2 is. an exploded view inperspeetive' of the locking elements adapted to secure a p1u rality of sets of the elements of Figure 11 together, as shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit arrangement interconnecting the keyboard, the sensing drum, and the strobotron.

Referring to the drawings for more specific details of the invention, and more particularly to Figures 1-6 showing the first embodiment of the invention, the changeable exhibitor is comprised of a base plate I8 having secured thereto a support bracket I2 provided with a platform I4 and upstanding arms I6 and I8. The arm I8 terminates in a bearing sleeve 28 having Journaled for rotation therein ahub 22 forming an integral part of a disc 24 having a flanged rim 26 supporting a drum 28. The hub 22 is counterbored to provide bores 38 and 32, bore 88 being cylindrical in cross section and has secured therein, as by a pin 48, a shaft 42 having a collar 44 fixedly secured thereto and an end 46 square in cross section. Sleeved on the square end 46 of shaft 42 into abutting relation with the collar 44 is a hub 48 forming an integral part of a disc 58 having a flanged rim 52 fixedly secured to the inner surface of the drum 28 having an indicating section 56 and a sensing section 58. The disc 58 is removably secured on the shaft 42 by a lock washer 68 carried in a groove 62 in said shaft.

- The arm I6 of the bracket I2 carries a stub shaft 64 having pivotably secured thereto an arm 66 of a mounting bracket 68 normally supported by the upper end ofa pedestal I8 secured to the base plate I8. A spring I2 having its ends secured to the pedestal I8 and the bracket 68 yieldingly urges the latter toward the former to bring a cam-type protuberance 14 on the bracket into engagement with the wedge-shaped end I6 of an adjustment screw I8 in threaded engagement with a bracket support 88 carried by the pedestal 18. Inward movement of the screw 18 by rotation of the knurled handle 82 in the proper direction forces the cam projection I4 upwardly to move the mounting bracket 68 to a limited degree in a counterclockwise motion, as viewed in Figure 1, while an outward movement of the screw 18 allows the mounting bracket to rotate in the opposite direction to contact the pedestal I8, said two-way limited movement of the bracket 68 being for a purpose hereinafter described.

The mounting bracket 68 supports a shaft 84 having pivotally mounted thereon an elongated block 86 of suitable insulating material. A plurality of spaced electrically conducting fingers 88, twenty in number for the particular embodiment shown, are carried by the block 86, each finger being connected to a separate electrical lead 98. The block 86 is urged in a counterclockwise direction to normally bring the fingers 88 into contact with the sensing section 58 of the drum 28 by means of a spring 92 secured at one end to a stub arm 94 carried by the block 88 and at the other end to a stub arm 96 carried by the arm 66 of the mounting bracket 68.

The base plate I8 and the drum 28 are enclosed by a casing 98 having a removable end wall I88. Secured to the rear wall of the casing by a pin I82 is a pivotable crank arm I84 having one end in engagement with an arm I86 carried by the block 86 and having pivotally secured to the other end thereof a rod I88 which passes through a guide bracket II 8 secured to the casing 98 and engages the removable end wall I88. A spring I I2 having one end secured eII to the crank arm I84 and the other end secured to the casing 98 serves to maintain the rod I88 in pressing engagement with the end wall I88. Upon the removal of said end wall from the casing so as to remove the drum 28 and replace it with another, rod I88 is moved to the left, as viewed in Figures 3 and 4, under the action of spring H2 and this spring rocks the crank arm I84 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, or a downward direction, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, to force the arm I86 downwardly, thus rocking the block 86 against the inadequate counteraction of spring 92 to bring the fingers 88 out of engagement with the drum 28 for the removal of the latter without damage to the fingers.

A keyboard I I4 located'on the base plate I8 adjacent the casing 98 is provided with two rows H6 and H8 of keys I28, each row having the ten keys numbered from 0 to 9. The keys are of the conventional flexible type whereby the depressing of any key will latch said key in the depressed position, while the depressing of another key in the same row willrelease the previously latched key. Each of the keys I28 com prises a depressable electrical contact I22 and a fixed electrical contact I24 therebeneath, as shown schematically in Figure 6, the fixed contacts I24 of rows H6 and H8 being connected in series with leads I26 and I28, respectively, of a conventional strobotron circuit, indicated generally at I 38 and including a strobotron tube I32, also shown in Figure 1 as being secured to the base plate I8 within the casing 98, and the movable contacts I22 of rows H6 and I I8 being connected by separate leads I34 to the fingers 88. The key contacts I22 of row II6, representing the "tens row of numbers, are connected to the left hand group of ten of the twenty fingers 88 as viewed in Figure 3 and shown in Figure 6, the contact of key 9 being connected to the finger 88 furthest to the left, and so on, while the key contacts of row I I8, representing the units row of numbers, are connected to the right hand group of ten of the fingers 88, as also viewed in Figure 3 and shown in Figure 6, the contact of key 9 of this row being connected to the finger furthest to the left of this group, and so on. 1

The sensing portion 58 of the drum 28 serves as an electrical conducting bridge between the two groups of fingers 88; that is, when the switch is closed and one of the keys of each of the rows II 6 and H8 is depressed to bring the movable contacts I22 thereof into engagement with. the fixed contacts I24, the fingers 88 connected to the two activated keys. are connected into the strobotron circuit I38 by means of the leads I26, I 28 and I34, and thus the two activated fingers 88 are bridged to cause energization of the strobotron I32 whenever said two fingers simultaneously contact the sensing portion 58 of the drum 28 through the sensing pattern I36 of Fig ure 5. a

The sensing pattern I36 comprises a sheet or coating of suitable insulating material covering the electrically conducting sensing portion 58 of the drum 28, said pattern comprising ten rows of staggered spaced apertures I38, revealing the conducting drum therebeneath and in alignment with those of the fingers 88 connected to the row II8 of keys I28, and ten elongated apertures I48 in staggered relation with each other and in alignment with those ofthe fingers 88 connected to the row II6 of keys I28. Each of the funits? finger 88 contact the sensing portion 58 of the 5. drum through the-sensing pattern 136 ten times during each revolution of the drum; one of said "units fingers is in contact with the drum at any given instant; and no more than one oi the units fingers has such contact at any given instant. Each of the "tens fingers 88 contacts the sensing portion 58 of the drum through the sensing pattern [36 once during each revolution of the drum; only one of the tens fingers makes such contact at any given instant; and the period of contact of each tens finger is ten times as long as the period of contact of each units fingers, thus allowing for a contact with the drum of each units finger while only a single inns finger is making contact. It will thus be seen that when any number from 0 to 99 is set up on the keyboard H4 by depressing the corresponding keys 12K! in the "units row H8 and tens row 1 '16 there will be an electrical bridging of the units and tens fingers 88 connected to the depressed keys at a predetermined position of the drum 2!! through the elongated aperture i 40 corresponding to the depressed tens key and through the particular aperture I38, both corresponding to the depressed units key and'subtended by the particular aperture Me, and this bridging will cause a closing of the strobotron circuit I31] to energize the strobotron I32 once during each revolution of the drum regardless of the speed of rotation of the drum.

it has thus far been seen that the depressing of the keys I2!) denoting a particular number within the range 0 to 99 causes a single flashing of the strobotron I32 at a predetermined position of the drum 28 during each rotation of the drum under the action of motor 38, said motor being energized by the-switch-whic'h also serves to energize the strobotron circuit 139. It will now be understood that the indicating portion 56 of the drum 28 comprises a sheet of paper, or the like, cylindrically wrapped on the drum" and remova'bly secured thereto, and that this sheet may be divided into as man as 99 peripheral data lines or spaces M2 divided, if desired, into columns HM, each line corresponding to a numerical notation represented by a particular combination of the keys I at, and each line being so correlated with the sensing pattern I36 that it will be in registry with a casing aperture or viewing space I46 provided with an indicia strip M8 thereabove, when the strobotron flash occurs for the selected key combination and illuminates the particular spaces 1-42 of the indicating section.

The periodic flashes of the strobotron corresponding to any chosen key combination should preferably be of such frequency thatthe time between succeeding flashes will be lessjthan the image retention time tor the human eye so that the desired information on a particular line 142 oi" the indicating section of the drum, corresponding to the depressed keys, will be constantly viewable by the operator without perceptible flicker. The speed of rotation of the drum is otherwise unimportant, since the hash of the strobotron and the registry of the desired information with the viewing space M5 depend on the position of the drum and not on the speed thereof.

- As an example of the type of information chart or table which may be utilized with this embodiment of the invention, each line 42 of the indicatingportion 5B of the drum may contain payroll tax information showing the tfan-deducQ tion to be made from a check of a certain amount, the amount of the check being denoted in dollars 6 by the keys I20. The depressing of the appropriate keys will instantly make the desired tax information viewable through the space IE6, and this information will remain viewable until a new combination of keys is depressed. Various other types of information tables may, of course, be used with the device, and it is also to be pointed out that the number of lines I42 of the indicating drum may be increased along with the provision of added fingers 88 and added rows of keys.

In the event that the information presented to the operator's view is not centered within the space I46, but is located either high or low with in the space so as to be partly obscured, the operator may turn the adjustment screw 18 in the appropriate direction to either raise or lower the mounting bracket 68 and block 86 to correspondingly raise or lower the fingers 88, thus achiev ing the strobotron flash a little later or a little earlier in the rotation cycle of the drum to bring the illuminated line of information squarely all within the viewing space M6.

While the above-described embodiment of the invention is adapted for use with "indicating charts containing precalculated data, said charts being removable as a unit and not requiring any change of data thereon when in position on the drum, the hereinafter described modification of the exhibitor, as shown .in Figures 7 13, is particularly adapted for use with data-bearing strips, which, due to the particular information carried thereby, may become outmoded, thus requiring substitution or new data strips for the outmoded ones. Accordingly, the sensing drum portion of the device is so arranged that the contacts carried thereby may be separately changed to maintain these contacts in correlation with changes made on the indicating drum.

The changeable exhibitor of Figures 7-13 is comprised of a base plate 210, a casing 252 provided with a viewing space 2M and an indicia strip 2-l6 thereabove, and a keyboard 2|8 having, for example, five rows 22!), 222, 224, 22-6 and 228 of keys 239, each row having ten keys, numbered from Q to 9, and each key being or the conventional flexible type, whereby the depressing of any key in any one row latches said key in the depressed position, and whereby the depressing of a second key in the same row latches the latter and releases the previously depressed key.

Mounted on the base plate 216 within the casing 2 l2 are opposed brackets 232 serving as hearing supports for a shaft 23 having secured thereto by a pin 236 a drum 238 having 'a large diametral or indicating section 246 and 'a small diametral or sensing section 242.

The-indicating section 24B; of the drum is inalignment with the'viewing aperture. 214 and is provided with a plurality of peripheral slots 244 adapted to have inserted therein, as through a casing door 24S containing the viewing aperture 2, indi'c'ia strips 248 containing, for example, parts-list information, including a part number 2%, apart name 252, and a cost figure 254. The sensing section 242 of the drum has mounted thereon a plurality of interfitting elements, both of electrically conducting material and insulating material, forming the sensing pattern indicated generally at 256 in Figure 9.

The sensing pattern structure is-comprised-ci. a ring 253 sleeved-overthe drum section 24211? abutting relation with the indicating, 'sectionjzldil' o'ffthedrum, said ring-having a plurality-oi spaced radial slots 2% in one face thereof spaced apart a, distance equal to the spacing between the indicating strips 248 and in alignment therewith. The slots 266 are provided with lips 262 atthe upper end thereof. Other rings 2E4 having slots 286 and lips 262 are arranged in abutting relation to form five banks of rings 266, 268, 216,212 and 214, said rings being provided with slots 216 in their faces oppositely disposed to the slots 266. Contact rings 218 having spaced teeth 286 extending into the slots 216 are carried between the rings 264, while elongated contact members 282, best viewed in Figure 12, having upwardly extending fingers 284, arms 286 and drum surface contacts 288, are extended through each of the spaced sets of aligned apertures 296 of the rings 264 of a bank and are moved upwardly so that the fingers 284 extend into the slots 218 bythe subsequent insertion into the apertures 296 of locking blocks 292. The elongated contact members and locking blocks 292 secure the rings 264 of each bank 266, 268, 216, 212 and 214 together as a unit. Banks 266 and 268 have the arms 286 or their elongated contact members directed toward each and spaced apart by a spacer ring 294 having niches 266 for the reception of the surface contacts 288; banks 216 and 212 have their contact members 282 similarly orientated and another ring 264 is provided therebetween; and banks 268 and 216 and 212 and 214 are separated by other rings 258. All of k are electrical conducting elements, while the rings 258, 264 and 294 and the locking blocks 282 are of insulating material. The rings 216 have in contact therewith electrical conducting fingers 366 carried by an insulation block 368 supported within the casing 212 by a bracket 316 secured to the base plate 216, said fingers being connected by leads 312 to the keys 236 so that the keys of row 226 are sequentially connected to the rings 218 of bank 266 of the sensing pattern, the keys of row 222 to bank 268, row 224 to bank 210, row

226 to bank 212, and row 228 to bank 214. Other contacting fingers 31 4, 316 and 318 serve as stationary bridging contacts for the drum surface contacts 288. The free ends of fingers 314, 316 and 318 are in alignment, and, preferably, also in alignment with the viewing aperture 214, while the fingers have their other ends secured to an insulation block 326 pivotally mounted on a U- shaped mounting bracket 322 having its ends supported on shaft 234 and having an intermediate support comprising a cam 324 carried by the bracket 322 in engagement with the end of an adjustment screw 326, which, in turn, is threadably engaged with bracket 328 carried by a pedestal 336 secured to the base plate 216. A spring 332 interconnecting the block 326 and bracket 322 serves to urge the fingers 314, 316 and 318 into contact with the drum, while another spring 334 interconnecting the bracket 328 and the pedestal 330 serves to maintain the cam 324 in pressing engagement with the screw 326. The adjustment screw 326 projects out of the casing and is provided with a knurled handle. 336... v jThe finger 318, in wiping engagement with the drumcontacts 288 ofybank 214, is connected by lead 338 to a strobotron circuit, indicated generally at 346 and similar to strobotron circuit 136 of Figure 6, including a strobotron 342, said strobotron being secured to the base plate 216 within the casing adjacent the indicating section 246 of the drum, while the circuit 346 is connected by lead 344 to the row of keys 226. The circuit 346 is provided with power leads 345 and 346 adapted to supply current to said circuit upon the throwing of a switch, not shown. which switch may be made effective at the same time to energize a motor 348, mounted within the casing 212 on the base plate 216, to cause the motor shaft 356 to drive shaft 234 and drum 238 through a coupling 352, thus causing the indicia strips 248 to move rapidly past the viewing aperture 214.

It will be noted that each strip 248 hasin' ticular rings 218 carried adjacent said slots and the particular fingers 264 of the connector 282 therebeneath. For example, if the strip 248 has the part number 4710 thereon, a clip 354 is placed in the first or zero slot of bank 266, corresponding to the zero key of key row 226; and clips are placed in the four slot of bank 268, the

seven slot of bank 216, the one slot of bank 212, and the zero slot of bank 214. In like manner the slots corresponding to the part num-.

bers carried by each of the strips 248 are provided with clips 354.

Assuming that the motor 348 is in operation and-the drum 238 is being rotated thereby, the

operator may find the classification 252 and the price 254 of any part in the following manner. If the part number is 4710, for example, the zero key of row 226 is depressed to latch, and the f u Se e o e, d o keys of rows 222, 224, 226 and 228, respectively, are like-' wise depressed. At the precise instant that the strip 248, bearing information relative to part number 4710, is within the viewing aperture 214, the drum contacts 288 in alignment with said strip are contacted by fingers 314, 316 and 318, and current flows through the strobotron circuit 346 and the five banks of the sensing drum to cause the strobotron 342 to flash. The current takes the following path, as shown in Figure 13': lead 345, circuit 346, lead 344, zero key of row 226, lead 312 to finger 366, zero ring 218 of bank 266, clip 354, connector 282, drum contact 288, finger 314, drum contact 288 of bank 268, clip 354, ring 218, finger366, lead 312, four key of row 222, seven key of row 224 connected in series therewith, and, in likemannenthrough bank 216, finger 316, bank 212, one key of row- 226, zero key of row 228 in series therewith, bank 214, finger 318, lead 338, circuit 346, and lead 346 to flash the strobotron 342.

As the strip 248 for part number 4710 passes the viewing aperture 214, the finger 314, 316 and 318 are no longer in contact with the drum contacts 288 in alignment with said strip, thus causing a break of the circuit through the five banks of the sensing portion of the drum. However, as long as the same keys remain depressed, the strobotron will flash each time the part number 4710 strip reaches the aperture 214, thus freeze ing this strip forview by the'operatormTh'e depressing of any other five keys 236, one

each "of the ifive key rows, will "visuallyarre'st' the :part number strip, corresponding to the key combination, within the viewing aperture.

If any strip 2-48 contains obsolete information. it may be removed through the casing door 256 and replaced by a new part number strip, and any suitabledoor arrangement may be provided in the casing H2 so that access may be had to the sensing section of the drum for the purpose of removin the clips 354 corresponding to the removed strip and insertin'gother clips 335 i 'i'n the proper :slot 266 corresponding to the part number of the new strip. .To facilitate placement of the clips 354 in the proper slots, numbers or other appropriate findicia sequentially identifying the rows of slots 269 may be printed on "the casing 212 in alignment with sa-idrows.

In the event that the strips 248 are not visuah lyiarrested fully within the'viewing aperture, the fingers 314, M5 and 3158 may be slightly raised or lowered to either delay-or advance the making of the circuit so that the strips 2.4.8 will bein the center of aperture 2% at that time. This raising or lowering of the fingers 314, 3 16 and 3H3 accomplishedby the proper rotation of adjusting screw 326 to raise or lower the mounting brac-ket.

322, thus causing a corresponding movement or the block 32!! carrying said fingers.

It will be obvious that other types of sinrormastion may =b-e.furnished on the stripsizfld, and that the number of strips carried by the indicating portion of the drum may be varied, and, further, that the number of key rows and sensing banks may be varied as desired. In general, itz-is tended that the embodiments of the invention may be modified within the spirit 29f the invention and thescopieof the appended claims.

What ,I claim as new and desire :to secure by Letters Patent is:

1,. A device of the'class described comprising a rotatable member having an indicating portion carrying data in spaced unitsand a sensing portion provided with a pattern of electrical Z0911- tacts, a combination of said contacts :associated with each unit of data, a stroboscopic lightisource, and means connected to said pattern and :operable to select a combination of said contacts to intermittently energize said light source during rotation of said member whei-i the unit of data associated with said combination '%is 'a :predetermined position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a cyclically movable member carrying linear units of data, an ordinal combination of electrical contacts assooiated'with each of said units of data, a stro'boscopic light source, and means selectively operable during movement of said member to interconnect said light source and a combination of contacts to control the energiza tion "-o'f said source when the unit of dol-ta associated with said selected contacts reaches a predetermined position.

3. A device of the class described comprising a rotatable member, lines of spaced data carried thereon, said lines of data being adapted to be moved sequentially and recurrently past a viewing locus, an electrical circuit, a light source in said circuit, and switch means in said circuit for stroboscopically arresting at said viewing locus a desired line of data through cyclic energization of said light source in timed relation to the cyclic positioning of said desired line of data at said viewing locus comprising a second member movable in timed relation with said rotatable member, a plurality of aligned sensing fingers 1G in wiping engagement therewith, a plurality 'of spaced combinations of electrical contacts carried by said seoondmember, each combination being positionally related to a line of spaced data on said rotatable member and being adapted to se-v of contacts is engaged :by said selected combination of i'sensi ig fingers.

ii. A device or the class described asset forth in claim 3 .=-embo:dying means associated with said sensingfingersas a group to adjust the line of.v

wiping contact of said fingers with said second member to thereby enable the positional adjust.- merit-10f a stroboscopical'ly disclosed line of data at said viewing locus.

in a device of the class described, a cylindric'a'l drum-like member having a data portion at oneren'd and a sensing pattern portion at the other. end, said data portion of the member carrying a plurality of spaced rows of data arranged peripherally of said portion in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of said member, and said sensing pattern portion being provided with a plurality :of spaced rows of electrical contacts arranged peripherally of said portion in parallel relati'onto the longitudinal axis of said member,

with each row having at least two laterally spaced contacts interconnected :by an ='electr'ical con I doctor, said laterally spaced contacts in each row being positionally related on said member to aspecific -row of data on "said data portion thereof and comprising code locator means for said speciflc row of data.

6 :In a device of the class described the mem ber set forth in claim -5 wherein said 'data portion of said member is provided with data row carrier means enabling the removal of any given row of data for replacement by another row, and wherein said sensing pattern portion embodies means for the variable positioning of electrical contacts each of thespaced rows of contacts to adapt a contact row as-code locator means for its positional ly related data .row when a --data replacement is made in said row.

'7 A device of the class described comprising acy1indr i'oa1 drum-like member having a data portion atone end and a sensing portion at the other end, said data portion or the member carrying a plurality of spaced rows of data arranged peripherally of said portion in parallel relation to the -longitudinal :axisof said member, and said sensing pattern portion being provided with a pluralityof spaced rows or electrical'contacts' arranged "peripherally of said portion in parallel relation to the "longitudinal-axis of said member,

with each row having at least two laterally spaced contacts interconnected by an electrical conductor, said laterally spaced contacts in each row i being positionally related on said member to a specific row of data on said data portion thereof and comprising code locator means for said specific row of data, means for rotating said member, and means for visually disclosing a selected row of data while said member is rotating comprising electrical circuit means including a strobotron adapted upon the intermittent closing of said circuit to disclose at a viewing locus said selected row of data, sensing fingers in wiping relation to the contacts of said sensing pattern, and keyboard selector means adapted to selectively connect a combination of said sensing fingers into said circuit in matching relation to the combination of contacts representative of the row of data selected for visual disclosure, said circuit being intermittently closed by recurrent engagement of said combination of contacts and said combination of sensing fingers.

8a A device of the class described comprising a cylindrical drum-like member having a data portion at one end and a sensing portion at the other end, said data portion of the member carrying a plurality of spaced and removable and replaceable rows of data arranged peripherally of said portion in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of said member, and said sensing portion comprising at least two blanks of conductor elements, each bank having a plurality of spaced ring conductors circumferentially arranged on said member, a plurality of spaced longitudinal conductors in parallel relation to the axis of said member, and means for selectively connecting each longitudinal conductor of a bank with one of said ring conductors, the longitudinal conductors of one bank being in alignment with the respective longitudinal conductors of the other bank, with each row of aligned conductors being positionally related to a specific row of data, said selective connecting means being adapted to serve as code locator means for the particular data occupying said specific row, means for rotating said member, and means for visually disclosing a selected row of data while said member is rotating comprising electrical circuit means including a strobetron adapted upon the intermittent closing of said circuit to disclose at a viewing locus said selected row of data, a bank of sensing fingers in wiping engagement with the conductor rings of each bank, keyboard selector means adapted to selectively connect a sensing finger of each bank through its associated conductor ring to the longitudinal conductors with which said ring is connected by said selective connector means to thereby select a row of aligned longitudinal conductors positionally related to said selected row of data, and bridging means in mutual wiping relation to the aligned ends of said longitudinal conductors adapted to electrically interconnect the longitudinal conductors of said selected row and close said circuit when the corresponding row of data is at said viewing locus.

9. In a device of the class described including a drum-like member, means mounting said member for rotation, units of data carried by said member, an electrical circuit having a strobotron adapted upon the closing of said circuit to visually arrest one of said units of data, and electrical selector means for said circuit adapted to variably control the closing of said circuit to arrest any given units of data; the provision in 12 said'selector means of a sensing pattern on said drum-like member in laterally adjacent relation to said units of data, said pattern having circuit closing contacts for each of said units of data positionally related on said member to their associated data units, and means for re-' r said member, an electrical circuit having a strobotron adapted upon the closing of said circuit to visually arrest one of said units of data, and electrical selector means for said circuit adapted to variably control the closing of said circuit to arrest any given unit of data; the improvement in said selector means of a first circuitswitching means comprising a sensing pattern located in adjacent relation to said member and rotatable in timed relation therewith, said pattern having circuitcl0sing contacts for each of said units of data positionally related with respect to their associated data units, and sec.

ond circuit-switching means comprising a keyboard so correlated with said sensing pattern that upon selective operation of any particular keys said circuit is conditioned for closure by the circuit-closing contacts of said pattern correlated with said selectively operated keys.

11. In combination, a movable member bearing intelligence in spaced units, a stroboscopic light source within illuminating distance of said member, a coded sensing pattern movable in coordination with said member, each unit of intelligence being represented by a different portion of said pattern and being positionally related to its associated pattern portion, and selector means responsive to the positioning of aportion of said pattern during'movement of the pattern to intermittently energize said light source and illuminate and visually rest the intelligence unit associated with said pattern portion selectively positioned.

EUGENE E. REYNOLDS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Naes Apr. 28, 1942 

